Happy motivational Monday, sisters, and brothers! Are you guys ready for a real inspirational story? I hope so!

Today, our spotlight is on Aminata Conteh-Biger, a former refugee saving dozens of women and infants’ lives in Sierra Leone. Aminata Conteh-Biger is a wife, mother, inspirational speaker, author, and the founder of Aminata Maternal Foundation—a charitable organization saving the lives of thousands of women and children miles away from her.

Conteh-Biger worked as a fashion retail, model, UNHCR volunteer, and ambassador. She also acted in the famous Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe—a story based on personal accounts celebrating resilience and courage while examining the effects of trauma.

Originally from Sierra Leone, Conteh -Biger had a normal childhood with a home filled with her family. That wasn’t until the civil war in the West African country—Sierra Leone began; within a blink of an eye, Aminata seemed to be in an awful movie. Soldiers from the Revolutionary United Front swept into Freetown, which resulted in the 11 years of the civil war the country experienced, calming the lives of more than 50 000 lives. Surviving an unforgettable horrific moment for months, Aminata became a victim of rape and abuse, “held as a human bombing” before being released in a televised prisoners exchange for food, watched by the whole country during a ceasefire. She later flees to Australia after her captors posed a threat to her life.

“RISING HEART”—FINDING HOPE TO LIVE AND IMPACT

Despite surviving brutal moments during the civil war, the inspirational speaker and mother of two—found hope to live again and impact lives even miles away from her. When she first arrives in Australia as the first female refugee from Sierra Leone, she never thought of making this vast impact but instead just wanting to be in a safe country. Her foundation, Aminata Maternal Foundation, was inspired after surviving a complicated delivery of her daughter Sarafina. With more than five doctors to save her and her child, Conteh-Biger realised that she could have died if she lived in Sierre Leone. A country where women are 200 times likely to die during childbirth compared to Australia.

Aminata Maternal Foundation—has helped fund more than 2,000 safe deliveries in Sierra Leone through the foundation’s partner organization, Aberdeen Women’s Centre.

Aminata recently authored ‘Rising Heart,’ a book that the Canberra Times refers to as a “searing but optimistic account of a life defined by both trauma and hope.” In this book, Aminata gave a remarkable account of her experiences in both Sierra Leone and Australia. Conteh-Biger manifested her energy, optimism, and commitment throughout the pages of ‘Rising Heart’.
Now, Aminata has built an incredible life—sharing her story with courage, impacting and saving lives through her foundation.